The Transfiguration is overlooked and under-appreciated, and that’s unfortunate. After all, it was an amazing event! Seeing Jesus shine brighter than the sun isn’t a routine occurrence! Two, it’s packed with theological significance.
In his second letter, the apostle Peter lays out the implications of the Transfiguration (to which he was an eyewitness) for the gospel. According to Peter, it presages the Day of the Lord, displaying God’s glory in Christ. The Transfiguration also describes the possibility of our growth in God’s Word. This means we can become more and more like Jesus. Finally, it’s an act of spiritual warfare. (We covered these in the first, second, and third posts of this series.)
There was more material about spiritual warfare than I could fit into a single post, so we’re going to finish up here.
I’ll start by acknowledging that Peter doesn’t seem to broach the subject of spiritual warfare when he discusses the Transfiguration. (Bible quotes are from the NASB20 version.)
For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such a declaration as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory: “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well pleased”– 18and we ourselves heard this declaration made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. – 2 Peter 1:16-18
Last week, we dealt with the identity of “the holy mountain” which couldn’t be Sinai or Zion. Most likely, this was Mount Hermon which, according to Jewish tradition (see 1 Enoch 6), was the location where a group of angels committed themselves to corrupting the human race by breeding with women and siring monstrous offspring. (Moses recounted this in Genesis 6:1-4.) So God transfiguring Jesus on Mount Hermon was tantamount to declaring war on the enemies of humanity.
The next few verses explain how devotion to Scripture can have a transformative effect on us.
And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. 20But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture becomes a matter of someone’s own interpretation, 21for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. – 2 Peter 1:19-21
Peter compares the Bible to a lamp, and why not? The Old Testament does, too.
- “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” – Psalm 119:105
- “For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; and rebukes for discipline are the way of life.” – Proverbs 6:23
We need lamps when it’s dark out; during the day, handheld lights are unnecessary. The apostle is suggesting that we focus on the Word until something happens inside us (“in your hearts”).
What is that event?
Morning.
The night fading as the sun breaks the horizon and brightens everything.
But Peter doesn’t mention the sun; instead, he refers to “the morning star.” This is the planet Venus, which is one of the last lights in the sky to disappear as the sun comes up.
There’s a verse in Isaiah that speaks about the morning star.
“How you have fallen from heaven, you star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who defeated the nations!” – Isaiah 14:12
Many Bible scholars read this as a prophecy directed against the devil. God made him good, but he fell from grace and ruined himself.
Since the New Testament often quotes from the Greek Old Testament, I wanted to check out the Greek version of Isaiah 14:12. I ended up making my own English translation:
“How the Day Star fell out of heaven, the one rising early; the one sending to the nations has been crushed into the earth!”
There are several connections between the vocabulary in this verse and 2 Peter 1:19.
The first one is “Day Star,” which is obviously similar to “morning star.” The Greek words are almost the same. Isaiah 14:12 has heosphoros and 2 Peter 1:19 uses phosphoros (I know, it looks like phosphorus! I suppose that’s where we get the English word from!) Both terms end in “phoros” which derives from the verb phero which means “I bring” or “I carry.” The prefix “heos” means “until” and the prefix “phos” is the Greek word for light. (Did you notice that Peter includes the word “until” in 1:19? He does!)
Remember that the planet Venus is called the morning star because it’s the last “star” to shine before daybreak. It brings light until it’s no longer needed.
According to Isaiah, the angelic being God created (but who fell) was designed to serve as a light to lead to the Light. The devil rejected the will of the Lord for himself and wanted to take God’s place. By contrast, Peter encourages Christians that God’s Word can shine in us and through us as we point people to the light of Jesus Christ. In other words, where the devil failed, we can succeed!
It’s no surprise, then, that Satan attacks Christians who believe, practice, and promote the Word.
This brings us to another connection.
In Isaiah, God brought the devil down; in 2 Peter, the morning star arises in our hearts. The devil and the church are going in opposite directions! Again, we’re not shocked if the enemy tries to retaliate against us for this state of affairs. His future is doomed; ours is glorious!
The Lord brought the enemy down to the ground. The Greek word is ge, from which we get the name for the science of geology. The word means earth, dirt, ground, or land. The devil lost his status in the heavens and was confined to the earth. He’s no longer a light; he’s dark.
Peter reminds us of the value of Scripture as a light in a dark place. But he doesn’t use the common Greek word for “dark” (skotos). Rather, he goes with auchmeros which means “dirty, squalid.”
Did you ever use a flashlight in an old or abandoned home only to see all kinds of clutter and refuse everywhere? That’s what Peter’s getting at. The world is a mess because the devil is ruining it. Only the light of Jesus Christ, expressed through believers, can make a difference. God’s Word works in us and then through us and around us. Committing ourselves to serving the Lord provokes spiritual conflicts. But we don’t have to fear these skirmishes, because Jesus is the Overcomer! His victory is ours if we stay loyal to Him.
And there’s one more connection between these verses in Isaiah and 2 Peter. Isaiah refers to the devil as “the one sending to the nations.” The heart of this phrase is the Greek verb apostello, which means, “I send.” And yes, this is where we get the word “apostle” from.
Isaiah 14:12 reveals that the devil tries to secure his destructive grip on the world by sending emissaries to carry out his messages. Of course, Jesus authorized His apostles to spread the gospel to every nation. And down to the present day, we who believe the good news are called and equipped to share the truth of Jesus Christ. The lies and deception of the enemy is no match for God’s Word. Darkness cannot conquer the Light!
The Transfiguration was a breakthrough in the life of Jesus, but it was also a sign of what God wants to do in our lives. As He transfigures your understanding of the Transfiguration, may He fulfill its potential in you.
All glory to our God–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
